The Doctor
by Drac812
Summary: This is a story of another living being who escaped the hospital, hours before Rick Grimes. Read the story of his doctor who dodged zombies and soldiers in an attempt to reunite with his family.
1. Chapter 1-The Doctor

******DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**Chapter 1**

He was examining the chart of the patient in room 450 and observed that none of Rick Grimes' vital signs have changed for better or for worse. He was deciding how to move forward with treatment when the first gunshots rang out. He dropped the chart on the floor and ran to the window. Outside he observed a platoon of soldiers pouring into the hospital. He sprinted to the door and out into the hallway. He watched as soldiers entered his ward and began barking orders to the nurses who were situated at the nurse station. Some of the soldiers grabbed them violently and ushered them down the hall. They began conducting room to room searches. He had to think fast.

"What the hell?" He whispered to himself. He immediately sprang into action. He ran into room 448 and closed the door behind him. He knew that the room was empty today as the patient died yesterday from the fever which was consuming patients at an ungodly rate. The patient was moved yesterday evening to the morgue, which was quickly filling up as the virus's victims mounted. He looked around the room and spotted the bathroom door ajar. He quickly jumped into the bathroom, closed and locked the door behind him.

He crawled on the ground and hid next to the toilet. _The world is going to shit, _he thought. How did it come to this? He heard the news reports regarding the outbreak and that the federal government was quarantining sections of Atlanta. Doctors were baffled on how to treat this outbreak, so they called him in from King County Cancer center. Even though cancer was Dr. Steven Harper's specialty, he was one of the top diagnosticians in the county. The virus resisted all forms of antibiotics, and no matter what form of treatment is administered, the fever got worse. Now there were soldiers pouring into his hospital. No doubt there had to be a correlation between that and the rumors surrounding the morgue. Word on the street had come back that the dead down there weren't really dead.

More gunshots pierced the chaos outside. Steven heard someone enter room 450. Whoever entered the room sounded distraught. He put his ear against the wall of the bathroom and strained to hear.

"Rick….Rick, we have to go buddy…like right now…god dammit!" The owner of the voice sounded distraught. He heard some more commotion coming from the room before the voice seemed to fade out into the hallway.

"Ma'am….ma'am, please," he listened as he heard several footsteps running through the hallway. There was a slight pause in the action outside before several more gunshots rang out. This time accompanied by screams.

"Oh my God," Steven muttered to himself. People were being shot for apparently no reason. He needed to know what was going on out there, but his compulsion to survive overshadowed his curiosity.

All of a sudden he heard a commotion coming from the hallway outside. It sounded like someone pushing a gurney. He heard the door to room 450 burst open again.

"I'm gonna get you out of here bud," said the mysterious voice.

After several seconds of hearing nothing, he heard the door to room 450 open once again.

"Come on Corporal, move out!"

What the hell was going on out there? Were soldiers trying to take Rick Grimes somewhere? His desire to know what these people were doing with his patient almost outweighed his desire for survival. He did not know who was shooting out there, but he assumed the soldiers were taking someone out. _Could it be true? Could the dead come back to life?_

He heard some more whispers coming from room 450; however he couldn't make out the words.

_BOOM! _

A loud explosion followed by the power going out in the bathroom caused him to fall back against the toilet and smack his head. He heard some more gunshots followed by a strange shuffling sound outside his door. His last thought before he lost consciousness was of dead people walking in the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2-The Escape

**Chapter 2**

He slowly opened his eyes. He groaned as he sat up and leaned against the toilet. His head was throbbing, and he felt wetness sliding down his forehead. He placed his hand to his head and brought it down before his eyes. The hand came back dark and sticky, but since the power was out, confirmation of blood could not be determined due to the darkness surrounding him.

"Damn, my head is killing me," he whispered to the gloom of the bathroom. He faintly recalled the explosion outside and the power going out before he lost consciousness. He was unable to determine what time of day it was from this room so he had no idea how long he was out. He vividly remembers the screams and the shooting that took place in his ward. A chill went through his body. He crawled over to the door and put his ear up against it.

Nothing. Absolute silence. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing.

He slowly reached up, grabbed the door handle and unlocked it. A pale light spilled into the bathroom as he slowly opened the door. _Good it is still daylight out_, he thought in relief. He pushed the door open further and crawled out of the bathroom. No sounds came from the room. The silence was eerie in this normally busy hospital. He had never before heard a hospital so silent. It was _deathly_ silent.

He looked around the room. Against the wall was a clock which stopped at 2:17. He slowly stood up and looked at the front door. It was closed and there were no signs of damage to it. With light from the window in the main room pouring into the bathroom he went to check himself in the mirror. He saw that he had a significant bump on the side of his head but the sticky fluid on his head was a combination of sweat and hair gel. He grimaced and exited the bathroom. He walked over to the window and looked out. What he saw outside was something straight out of a nightmare.

"What the hell happened," he whispered to himself. Outside he saw soldiers carrying what looked like bodies wrapped in white sheets and piling them on the ground. There were several military vehicles located near the bodies. There was hardly any room left on the ground, so the soldiers were piling the bodies inside these vehicles. There were no signs of any civilians from what he could see. He had to get out of this hospital now. Concern for his family immediately crossed his mind. He worried whether this chaos spread to suburban neighborhoods or if it was contained at the hospital. He grew anxious as he thought about his wife Samantha and his kids, Amber and David.

He slowly walked to the door and put his ear to it. Hearing nothing, he slowly opened it. He walked out into the hallway and what he observed was something out of a warzone. The emergency lights were on however some of them were flickering. There was debris strewn all over the hallway. He looked over at room 450 where he heard most of the commotion. He observed a gurney parked across the front of the door. _That's strange_, he thought. He quickly moved down the hall to the nurse's station. The overhead lights were not working in this area and the darkness made the area seem extra gloomy. He looked down at the phone located on the desk. He picked it up and started dialing numbers before he realized that there was no dial tone.

"Shit!" He grumbled.

He ran down the hall towards the elevators, but when he got to room 436 he noticed bullet holes and blood all over the walls and the floor. "My God, so much blood," he whispered at the gore covered hallway.

As he headed to the double doors leading to the next ward, he noticed that the destruction was much more widespread. Insulation was hanging down from the ceiling and there were bullet holes strewn throughout the hallway. As he passed through the double doors he looked straight ahead and stopped dead in his tracks. Directly in front of him were the doors leading to the cafeteria. Painted in large black letters across the doors; **DON'T OPEN DEAD INSIDE**. He noticed that there was a thick steel chain wrapped across the door handles and a sturdy wood plank was inserted between them.

"What the hell is going on," he asked himself. He thought that if the people in the cafeteria were dead what would be the point of chaining the doors closed. He didn't ponder the question for too long as he needed to get moving and get back to his family.

He made his way past the elevators. With the power out they would be useless. He made his way over to the fire exit door and opened it. As he opened the door light poured into the staircase and illuminated what was pure blackness.

"Damn, the emergency lights failed in here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini flashlight that was located on his keychain. As the exit door closed and enveloped him in the blackness, he switched on the flashlight. He descended the first flight of stairs and stopped to listen. He could hear voices from the other side of the exit door. He strained to listen to what they were saying. Most of what he heard was too muffled to be understood, but he knew that these were the soldiers loading the bodies into vehicles. He waited for what seemed like an eternity.

He heard doors close and a vehicle drive off. He waited just to make sure there were no soldiers lurking behind. There were no further voices or noises coming from the other side of the door. Satisfied that they were gone he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Very slowly, he opened the door.


	3. Chapter 3- The Meeting

_This chapter covers events going on as Steven escapes the hospital. As he is running from soldiers through the woods, he runs into two people who are very familiar with Walking Dead fans. Feel free to read on for the scoop._

**Chapter 3**

As he exited the hospital, he looked around to make sure there were no other soldiers nearby. He observed several military vehicles parked alongside parking deck "A" with several soldiers engaged in different activities. It appeared that they were unloading supplies and setting up huge tents strategically placed near the exits of the parking deck. He also noticed that the soldiers were wearing gas masks.

"Shit!" He exclaimed. His car was parked inside that parking garage and he saw that there was no way to sneak in as the only entrance was blocked. He was going to have to be quick and sneak out of here on foot. It was approximately seven miles back to his house. He made his way up a grassy hill which was adjacent to where he was standing and took off over it.

Just as he made his way to the top of the hill, he heard shouts coming from the garage. He looked over and saw that several soldiers noticed him and they started running towards him.

"Oh god dammit," he said breathlessly as he took off running. He heard tires screeching but he didn't look back. He was completely focused on what lay ahead. He needed to get out of here and fast.

He looked over to the left and saw a tree line that was well overgrown due to heavy rainfall from recent storms. He ran into the wooded area, hoping that he was far enough ahead of the soldiers that they didn't see him. He didn't bother to stop to find out. He continued running through the thick brush. As he hopped over a fallen log his scrubs got caught on a branch and he fell back and smacked his head on the log. As his head hit the log he rolled into a small hole which was located underneath it.

"Ouch that is going to leave a mark," he whispered to himself. He tore off his scrubs shirt, revealing a Star Wars t-shirt underneath. His inner nerd was now showing. With all the crap going on right now, he thought that R2-D2 being on his shirt was the last worry in the world.

He heard the military Humvee roar by and the scrambling of feet on pavement as soldiers ran down the street. Apparently they didn't see him duck into the woods. Maybe his luck was turning around. As he crawled out of the hole he saw a woman standing next to a tree just staring at it.

He stood up and approached her. "Ma'am, are you ok? You better get out of here because there are soldiers all over the place and they seem to be shooting first and asking questions later."

She slowly turned towards him and he observed that the right side of her face was gone. Not gone as in hidden from view. It was gone as in somebody chewed the hell out of it. He stepped back so suddenly that he almost fell back in the hole.

"What the f-," he was cut off by an arrow plunging into the back of her head. The point of the arrow was sticking out of her left eye. She dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He looked past her and saw two men approaching from the far side of the woods.

"Hey-ey nice shot little brother," said the bigger man. He looked like a poster boy for white supremacists. He was clutching what appeared to be a 9MM handgun.

The other man was a little smaller in stature but still a card carrying member of the redneck club. He clutched a huge crossbow and was busy trying to wrench the arrow out of the woman's head. The bigger man looked over at Steven.

"Well look what we got here, Daryl!" He exclaimed. "We got a live one."

The man named Daryl ripped the arrow out of the woman's skull and looked up. He looked Steven through squinted eyes and said, "Looks like some kind of doctor, Merle," as he observed the bottom half of Steven's scrubs.

"You killed that woman," was all Steven could think of saying. He was in shock, but not sure whether it was from hitting his head, being chased by soldiers or watching these two kill a woman who was missing half of her face.

The man named Merle only chuckled and glared at Steven. Daryl never stopped squinting at him.

"Where have you been, doc?" Daryl asked. "Y'all should know that walkers aren't people anymore."

"Um…walkers?" Steven asked.

Daryl looked over at Merle. Merle just shook his head. Daryl looked like he would spit bullets.

"Listen doc, we ain't got time to explain the workings of the world today. We are on our way to Atlanta. It's supposed to be a safe zone. You best be heading there yourself."

Steven absorbed his words and frowned. _Safe zone? _ His desire to get back to his family was greater than ever now. "Sorry guys, but I need to get back to my family. My house is only a few miles from here and if it's all the same to you, I would rather avoid the soldiers who are running around shooting everyone."

At the mention of the soldiers, Merle grimaced and Daryl sneered.

"Soldiers are bad news, but there is worse shit out there. I'd wish you luck but you if you insist on hoofing it back to your house you are just a dead man walking," Merle said with a glare.

The two men started to walk away before Daryl turned around and looked at Steven. "Here you'll need this." He held out a .38 handgun. "I can't leave a man out here with nothing but his Star Wars shirt." He chuckled.

Steven walked over to Daryl and took the gun. "Thank you, I guess."

"There ain't no guessing," Merle said. "You are gonna use it, and you will find out that it won't be enough." He added cryptically.

The men walked out of sight and Steven was left standing there with a .38 and a female corpse to contemplate the events which led to him being there. He took in a deep breath and let it out; time to go.

He was now very concerned about his family's safety. His thoughts flashed back to the woman with the half-eaten face. He shivered.

He knew that he had to stay off of the main roads, as he figured it was being patrolled by soldiers. As he cut through the woods he was actually saving time for these woods led to an area located behind the cul-de-sac where he lived. After a rather uneventful twenty minutes, he realized that he was close to his neighborhood. He came to a steep slope that led down toward the end of his street. He looked down the hill and saw some of the homes situated on the end of the street and all appeared quiet. He was only able to observe three of the homes, but everything seemed normal. He didn't see any soldiers or people with half eaten faces. He began the descent toward his neighborhood.


	4. Chapter 4- Close Encounter

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I appreciate all the views and reads. What would help me grow as a writer is if any of you would be so kind as to post a review. Good or bad, it helps me improve my writing style for I am a relative newcomer in the world of fiction __ I will continue to update with new chapters as soon as possible._

**Chapter 4**

He looked out over the quiet neighborhood and a faint glimmer of hope that the carnage at the hospital did not reach here washed over him. As he made his way down the grassy slope, he heard a helicopter approaching. He crouched down underneath some brush and looked up as the helicopter passed overhead. Cursing under his breath he continued his descent to the neighborhood.

His feet touched pavement and he looked ahead. What he saw made his heart sink and washed away the glimmer of hope. All along the street was debris being blown around from the wind and he noticed several cars alongside the road with their doors ajar. The homes which were located closest to his position had vehicles in the driveway but he observed that most of the windows were smashed. Blaring in the distance were the sounds of several car alarms going off. Seeing the devastation around him prompted him to action. He raced toward his house.

As he ran across the front lawn he noticed his front door was wide open. He also noticed that Samantha's car was not in the driveway. He sprinted through the front door.

"SAMANTHA!" He yelled. "AMBER….DAVID? HELLO?" He ran yelling from room to room yelling their names. It was clear that the house was deserted.

As he entered the kitchen he noticed a post-it note on the counter.

_Steve, Mike and Nancy next door got sick. The Army came to their house and we heard gunshots. We are leaving the house and heading to my sister's house. I hope you are safe and please meet us there as soon as you can. I love you._

Steven looked at the note and slammed his fist down on the counter. "Damn!" His fury over the military rampaging through his neighborhood was only slightly abated by the thought of his family being out of the area and safe. He had to reunite with them, but she took her car and his was back at the hospital inaccessible. Than an idea came to him; _Mike and Nancy got sick_. If the military raided their house, their car is most likely still there. He rushed out of the house and headed in that direction.

Their house was directly across the street from the Harpers. As Steven ran across the street he noticed that their Kia Sedona and Toyota Prius were still parked in the driveway. He also noticed that their front door was open. He ran into their house hoping to locate their car keys.

"Hello is anyone home?" He called out. Silence greeted him.

He looked around and noticed that the house looked as if a bomb went off. Furniture was overturned and riddled with bullet holes. There was glass and blood everywhere. There were also several bullet holes puncturing the walls as well as the ceiling. He felt a knot forming in his stomach to the point that he thought he was going to vomit. This poor family suffered the same demise as the people at the hospital. He didn't need to see a body to know that. He struggled to keep his mind on the task at hand.

He remembered that Mike kept his car keys on a hook in the kitchen. He ran over to the kitchen to check. As he entered the kitchen he nearly fell on his ass as he slipped in a puddle of water. He looked over at the stove and saw a pot tipped over with water and spaghetti scattered all over the place. He looked to the left of the stove and found the hook with the keys on it. He snatched the keys and ran out of the kitchen.

As he made his way to the front door he heard a shuffling sound directly outside the door. It sounded like someone going through a trash can full of newspapers. He slowed down and made his way cautiously toward the door. As he reached the open doorway he noticed a guy standing on the front lawn dressed in a police uniform. The sound he heard was the man walking through trash that had accumulated on the lawn. The man was lumbering along at a very slow pace and looking around. He had blood all over his face and he looked like he had just walked away from a bar room brawl. As Steven stepped onto the front porch the man looked up and made a growling sound. He looked into the stranger's eyes and saw nothing but death.

"Sir, are you ok?" He asked the policeman. He took a step back as the policeman turned toward him.

All of a sudden the policeman lunged for him in a blind fury. In an instant, Steven tripped as he tried to retreat back into the house. The policeman fell on him. Steven felt hot, foul-smelling breath on his face as the blood dripped all over him. The strength of the cop was overwhelming and he kept Steven pinned to the ground. The cop's jaws were snapping open and closed like some kind of demented Pac-Man.

Steven lifted his knees up and placed them flat against the cop's stomach. "Get the hell off me!" He yelled at the cop even though he knew this person was far beyond the reasoning stage. He pushed the cop away with his knees, but it was only a temporary reprieve as the cop lunged for him again. This time the cop's mouth was just inches from Steven's face.

That was when he remembered the gun tucked in his waistband. He did a virtual slap to the forehead as he reached over and grabbed the gun. He placed the barrel of the weapon in the cop's mouth and pulled the trigger. His face exploded into a cascade of skin, blood and bone. He observed a small volcano-like eruption explode out of the back of the cop's head. He pushed the corpse off of him with his legs and drew in a deep breath. The knot in his stomach reached his throat as he turned his head sideways and vomited up a combination of ham sandwich and walker face-parts.

He looked around to see if there were any more walkers that stood between him and the Prius. Seeing that his path was clear, he jammed the gun back into his waistband and ran for the car. He jumped behind the wheel, jammed the key into the ignition and backed out of the driveway. As he turned onto the main road leading out of the neighborhood he floored it. As he raced out of the neighborhood his thoughts were with his family and he prayed for their safety.


	5. Chapter 5- Highway To Hell

_Steven escaped his neighborhood however his adventure was only beginning._

Steven's mind was in a daze as he stared straight ahead from behind the wheel of the Prius. Darkness was beginning to descend as he approached the outskirts of Atlanta. His thoughts were racing. He was trying to focus on the task on hand his efforts to reunite with his family, but he could not stop thinking about his face-to-face encounter with the cop. This was obviously what Merle and Daryl referred to as a "walker". That was the end result of the fever that seemed to overwhelm the patients at the hospital. The dead came back to life with an unbridled ferociousness. They appeared to also have an unquenchable hunger for human flesh. _How can the dead be hungry? _He was so deeply absorbed with questions that he almost crashed into a group of vehicles that were stopped on the road. He slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel. The side of the Prius connected with the guardrail and slid to a stop on the shoulder.

"Well at least that time I didn't hit my head," he muttered to himself. He opened the car door, shook his head and took a look at the gridlock ahead.

For miles all he could see was a logjam of vehicles with people gathered all around the highway as well as the side of the road. He noticed a young couple as they headed over towards him.

"Hey mister, are you ok?"

Steven brushed himself off. "Yeah I am ok." He squinted as he looked around. "What the hell is going on?"

The man looked flustered. "The whole damn highway is blocked. We were hoping to make it to Atlanta. There must be a safe zone set up there because there is a recording on the radio that keeps talking about a refugee center."

The woman sighed and looked back toward the gridlock. "This sucks, we aren't going to be able to carry everything we packed."

Steven looked over at the young man. He noticed that the guy was wearing a sheriff department t-shirt. "Hey buddy, are you a cop?"

The man had his arm around the young woman. He removed his arm from her shoulder and looked at him. "I used to be. The only law around here anymore seems to be the military."

Steven frowned. "Well I appreciate you coming over to check on me, but I need to get moving so I can catch up with my family."

The young woman looked at Steven and smiled. She turned around and went back to her vehicle she began talking to a young child who was standing next to it.

"I can appreciate that, bud," said the young man in the sheriff shirt. My name is Shane and that lady over there is Lori."

Steven grasped Shane's hand and gave it a firm shake. "My name is Steven. Nice to meet you, Shane."

"Hey listen, this traffic will hopefully break up soon and we will be able to move on," Shane said. "Why not pull your car up on the road and hang out here? It's not safe to travel alone, and as you can see, we're all in this mess together." He pointed toward the group of people in the road.

Steven hesitated. He badly wanted to be with his family however visions of his encounter with the walker made him decide to stick around.

"I suppose it would be a good idea." He slowly nodded his head.

Shane smiled. "Well look at the bright side, if you look off to your right down the road and through the tree line, you can see the Atlanta skyline."

Steven thanked him. He watched as Shane headed back to his car and fumbled with the radio. He got back into the Prius and moved it up on the road. He flipped the radio on and scanned through the channels. He turned to a station that was repeatedly broadcasting a recorded message about a refugee center that was set up within city limits. He turned off the radio and sighed. He adjusted his seat back and closed his eyes.

"Samantha I love you and I hope you and the kids are safe," he whispered before dozing off.

After about an hour of wrestling with sleep, he decided to get out and stretch. He noticed as Lori walked over to a woman standing next to two children and began talking to them. After a couple of minutes passed, Shane exited the car and walked over to them with a flustered look on his face. He watched as Shane grabbed Lori and began walking down the road. A look of concern crossed Steven's face.

He began to suspect that something was wrong. He got back into his car and flipped on the radio. The channel that was tuned in to the refugee center recording was no longer broadcasting. He hopped out of his car and started to follow Shane and Lori. As he started to close the gap between them he noticed a couple of fights break out between some families. Emotions were beginning to boil over, and that would spell trouble. He was just about to catch up to Shane when all of a sudden several helicopters flew over their heads.

People all around him were looking up and pointing. He noticed that Shane and Lori were jogging towards the tree line alongside the road. He quickened his pace in an effort to catch up to them.

Just as he entered the woods, he heard several loud explosions. He picked up his pace and ran. As he ran deeper into the woods he noticed Shane and Lori staring at the Atlanta skyline in the distance. He followed their gaze and what he saw made his heart leap out of his chest. The Atlanta skyline was on fire. The helicopters were flying overhead and dropping what appeared to be napalm onto the city. _Napalm_! He thought that he just crossed over into the twilight zone.

He dropped to his knees and put his face in his hands. He couldn't even hear himself sob his wife's name over and over again as each new explosion was louder than the previous.


	6. Chapter 6- U-Turn

_Steven is devastated from the events that unfolded in Atlanta. Where does he go from here?_

The flames in the distance were beginning to recede. Steven stood up, brushed himself off and attempted to compose himself as best as he could. He knew that the note his family left behind said that they were heading to his sister-in-law's home. Based on the information broadcast on the radio, a part of him hoped that they made it to the refugee center safely. After looking at the burning remains of Atlanta, he knew that he would have to continue on with his original path. However this time, he would have to take the long way. He headed back to his car.

As he got behind the wheel of the Prius, he noticed Shane and Lori as they walked back to their vehicle and began talking frantically with some of the people who were parked nearby. Steven wished he could stay with them, but he needed to be with his family. He put the car in drive and drove it through the grassy median in order to turn around. He drove toward Interstate 75.

After about thirty minutes of uneventful driving, Steven made it to the interstate. As he merged onto the highway, he noticed that the traffic was heavy as people were in a hurry to escape the devastation in Atlanta. It took him about forty five minutes to reach his exit. As merged off of the highway he observed that the traffic was almost nonexistent. He continued on until he reached the community where his sister-in-law lived; Wiltshire Estates.

As he pulled into the community he noticed that several abandoned vehicles were blocking access into the community. He immediately exited the vehicle and hurried around the blockade. He ran the five blocks to his sister-in-law's house.

He reached her house only to see that there were no vehicles parked outside or in the driveway. He stopped as he got to the front porch. The door was slightly open and there was blood located on the door jamb and knob. He remembered that he still had the handgun tucked in his waistband. He quickly pulled it out and cautiously moved deeper inside the home.

"Samantha?" He called out. "Amber…David?"

As he crept further into the house he noticed blood streaks on the floor. His caution quickly turned to concern. As he moved from room to room he held the gun out in front of him like a bad caricature of professional hit man. As he passed the stairway leading to the basement he heard a noise coming from the other side of the door. He froze.

It sounded like a faint scratching sound. As he put his ear up to the door he swore he heard a groaning sound. Concerned that a member of his family was injured on the other side he quickly opened the door.


	7. Chapter 7 - Wiltshire Estates

As he opened the door a person lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. As he looked up he noticed the person was dressed like a utility worker, however a quick glance at his cold, dead eyes and the bloody face was all the proof that Steven needed that this was another walker. He punched at its face as it attempted to bite him. The punch briefly stunned the walker which allowed him to crawl free.

Steven quickly stood up, breathing heavily as he watched the walker slowly stand up. Remembering the .38 that he had in his waistband, he grabbed at it and shot the walker in the shoulder blade. Unfortunately the shot didn't even slow it down as it scrambled toward him.

_BANG _

The second shot took out the walker's left eye. It dropped like a rock. He ran over to it and repeatedly kicked at its head.

"DAMN YOU," he yelled over and over as he repeatedly kicked at the walkers head. Realizing that it was finally dead he walked over to the open basement door. Looking down the dark staircase he reached over and flipped the light switch. Nothing happened.

"Damn power must be out in the neighborhood," he cursed under his breath. He brought out the mini flashlight that he had in his pocket and switched it on.

"Hello is anyone down there?" He called out into the blackness and listened intently. The silence was ominous.

Steven assumed that maybe his family locked this walker in the basement as they escaped the home. But what about all the blood he saw? He was concerned that one of them was injured. He backed away from the basement steps and headed towards the front of the house. As he ran toward the entrance he practically ran over a man standing in the walkway. They crashed into each other and Steven hit the floor.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" The stranger asked him.

Steven looked up at him. He was standing in the walkway clutching a handgun in his hand. From where Steven was lying, he looked to be about six feet tall with short brown hair and medium build, but he was more intent on the little girl that was standing behind him. She looked to be around ten or eleven years old.

"I'm sorry, I was looking for my family," Steven said.

The stranger stretched out a hand to help Steven back up. "Sorry I startled you there. We heard gunshots coming from over here and ran to see if we could help."

Steven stood up and brushed himself off. "Yeah I had a wonderful run in with one of those walkers."

The stranger peered intently at him. "It seems they are beginning to overwhelm this community. But where are my manners? My name is Philip Blake and this little girl here is my daughter, Penny."

Steven shook Philip's hand. "Nice to meet you. My name is Steven, and I came here looking for my wife and kids. This is her sister's house and I was hoping they were here after the events in Atlanta."

Philip narrowed his eyes at Steven. "What happened in Atlanta?'

"The goddamn-," he looked over at Penny and blushed. "Err…the military napalmed the city."

Philip's eyes widened and his daughter shrank back against him. "What? That is impossible. They were supposed to set up a refugee center there."

"They were. But apparently the city isn't safe."

Philip looked to be lost in thought. "Well Steven, I have an idea. There is a pretty big town just south of here called Woodbury. Maybe some of the people in this community headed over there."

Steven nodded. "It's possible. My sister-in-law's car is gone and so is my wife's. They must have headed somewhere. I just hope they didn't head to Atlanta." Tears welled up in his eyes.

Philip put his hand on Steven's shoulder. "Come and join us, let's go check out Woodbury. My car is around the corner."

Philip led him around the block to a Jeep Wrangler that was parked on someone's front lawn. He hopped in the back seat as Penny jumped in the front seat. As Philip was climbing up in the driver side of the vehicle a walker came from behind the house and started to shamble over to their vehicle. Philip climbed out of the driver seat, pointed his gun at the walker and shot him between the eyes. Steven was in awe of the accuracy of the shot. He immediately thought there was more to Philip than he was letting on.

Philip climbed back into the vehicle, closed the door and looked back at Steven. "Shall we go?"

Steven nodded.

Philip put the vehicle in drive and took off. Steven looked at Penny who was just staring mindlessly out the passenger window. He was amazed at how stoic she has been up to this point. As his gaze returned to Philip he could have sworn he saw him grinning.


	8. Chapter 8- The Trio Takes A Ride

_Author's note: I will keep the story going for as long as my heart and mind continue to agree on Steven's path. My hands will continue to type and I appreciate any and all feedback._

Steven sat in the back seat quietly while Philip drove. Thoughts of his family were racing through his head. His concern for Samantha and the kids grew with every dead end he ran into and each walker that he came across. He just couldn't believe the chaos that was going on around him as a result of the mysterious virus that baffled him and his peers. He just knew in the back of his mind that the government was behind it. They were always messing around with biological testing and chemical weapons and he was convinced that they screwed up big time on this one. _ I hope they are happy that they created a mindless army of undead_, he thought. His rage was beginning to overcome his sorrow. He was jarred from his thoughts by the Jeep squealing to a halt.

"Ouch," Penny cried from the passenger seat. The forward momentum of the Jeep caused her to be thrown violently against the seatbelt.

"I'm sorry honey," Philip said as he leaned over to check on her. He looked back at Steven and added, "I think we need to rethink our travel route."

Steven looked forward through the windshield. There were vehicles scattered all over the highway. Some were abandoned, some had minor damage and others were smoldering wrecks. Steven's heart sank.

"I'm ok dad," Penny said as she unbuckled her seat belt.

Philip slammed his fist on the steering wheel. "Damn! It looks like we are gonna have to hike it from here."

They exited the vehicle and gathered up supplies from the back of the Jeep. Between the three of them, they had three backpacks filled with dry food, water, ammo and sleeping bags attached to them. Steven admired how well Philip was prepared for this.

"How far is Woodbury from here?" Steven asked. "I mean….do you have a rough guesstimate?"

Philip walked to the shoulder, looked around the gridlock and sighed. "If I had to guess I would say that Woodbury is probably ten to twelve miles from here."

Steven was amazed at the silence that surrounded the area. The highway felt…_dead_. He nodded at Philip. "I guess we better get moving before the sun sets."

The trio started their journey along the highway. As they passed the group of vehicles blocking the highway they noticed that most of the cars were undamaged. The vehicle doors were open and appeared vandalized but otherwise undamaged. As they passed the front of the gridlock they noticed the cause of the pile up. There was a jackknifed tractor-trailer at the front of the pileup and it appeared that two of the vehicles crashed into it which caused the smoldering wreckage which they now observed. Steven was captivated with the scene. _What could have caused the truck to jackknife and where the hell can everybody be_, he pondered to himself.

Philip turned to Steven suddenly and startled him out of his thoughts. "Hey, I am going to check the back of that truck and see if there are any supplies that we could possibly use. Can you do me a favor and wait here with Penny?"

Steven nodded. Philip jogged off toward the back of the truck. The doors to the trailer were locked and he watched as Philip banged it with a large rock to no avail. Philip grunted in frustration and pulled out his gun. He aimed carefully and shot the lock off of the trailer. The gunshot pierced the eerie silence that pervaded the highway. Philip looked around and hopped into the trailer.

He waited as Philip rummaged through the trailer for supplies. A few moments after Philip entered the trailer, Steven heard a shuffling sound come from behind him. He swiftly turned around but it was too late; the walker was on him and knocked him down.

"PHILIP HELP!" He cried out as his gun tumbled out of his waistband and skidded across the street.

He watched helplessly as the walker bit Penny on the forearm. Her scream pierced Steven's soul. He quickly got up and punched the walker in the head, causing it to tear a chunk of flesh out of her arm.

The walker turned its attention to Steven. It lunged at him but he rolled out of the way. He grabbed Penny and ran towards the truck. As he got to the truck he saw Philip jump out of the trailer and shoot the walker in the face.

"Philip she's been bit on the arm," he cried. He took off his scrub pants and tore a leg off. He wrapped the cloth around her arm and put pressure on it. "Listen, I'm a doctor and if we can slow the flow of blood she should be-" He was cut off as Philip pushed him out of the way and scooped her into his arms.

"No dammit! NOOOOO!" He wailed. Steven was taken aback by the despair in his voice.

Penny's face was cradled against Philip's chest. She was sobbing. "I'm sorry daddy."

Philip was crying. "No baby, it's not your fault. I will take care of you."

Steven stood up and brushed himself off. "Philip listen, the wound appears to only be superficial; if we keep pressure on it she will be ok as long as we are able to find some medical supplies."

Philip looked up slowly. His tear streaked face was a mix of sorrow and rage. "No it won't be ok, Steven. She was BITTEN! Don't you understand?"

Apparently Steven's confused look took him by surprise.

"You don't know do you?"

Steven shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about."

Philip stood up with Penny still cradled against him. "When a walker bites or scratches you, he passes on whatever virus they have. Eventually the person who was bitten dies and then becomes one of _them_." He spat out the last word.

Steven couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was something straight out of a nightmare. He wiped sweat off of his brow.

"I'm sorry Philip, I didn't know." He looked down at the ground. "So what do we do now?"

Philip slumped his shoulders in despair. "Let's continue on to Woodbury. If you are a doctor can you please treat the wound?"

Steven slowly nodded his head. "I can keep pressure on it to slow the bleeding. Maybe we can run across a first aid kit or pharmacy on our way."

"There was nothing useful inside the truck by the way," Philip said suddenly in an attempt to change the subject of Penny's fate. "Let's get going before it gets dark."

The trio continued on past the truck and on to their destination. Once they were past the tractor-trailer, Steven took a mental note on how deserted the highway was beyond that point. He looked over at Penny as she clutched the rag against her arm and walked along the road quietly. As his gaze turned from her to Philip he saw a grim determination spread across his facial features. He also believed he saw a fiery rage burning in his eyes. For the first time since he left the hospital, Steven was afraid.


	9. Chapter 9- Red

_I appreciate all of the people who commented on this story and left feedback. It gives me self-confidence and inspiration to continue writing fan fiction._

They were on the road for about fifteen minutes accompanied by the steady traffic evacuees from Atlanta. As they got further away from the city the traffic lightened up to the point where it was nonexistent. Philip was focused on the road ahead as Steven was attending to Penny's arm. The bleeding let up significantly but she appeared lethargic. The virus was frustrating him immensely. Even though she was exhibiting physical signs of improvement, the fever persisted and grew worse. He didn't need a thermometer to tell him that.

"Philip, we need to find a pharmacy as soon as possible," Steven said. "I stopped the bleeding but we will need antibiotics to prevent infection of the wound."

"I'm looking god dammit," he blurted out. Steven was taken aback with the ferocity in his voice.

Steven reached into the cargo area of the vehicle and pulled out a bottle of water. "Here Penny, drink some of this." He said as he offered the bottle to her.

She took little sips, but didn't take in much of the water. Her lips were becoming dried and cracked which created a new worry for him-dehydration.

"Here we go," Philip said suddenly and pointed.

Steven looked where Philip was pointing and saw that they were approaching a pharmacy. Philip violently turned the vehicle into the parking lot, throwing Steven into Penny and against the door.

"Hey watch it," he said.

Philip ignored him as the vehicle screeched to a stop in front of the store. Philip hopped out of the vehicle and ran for the front door. He pulled on the door but it was apparently locked. Steven watched as he pulled out his gun and shot the glass door. He could have sworn that Philip was grinning maniacally as the glass fell to the ground, almost like he was reveling in the destruction. Steven just chalked it up to stress and concern for his daughter. He vanished inside the store.

Steven bit his bottom lip and stared at the gaping hole that used to be the front door. He frantically looked around the parking lot to make sure the noise didn't attract any walkers. Satisfied that they were safe, he went back to monitoring Penny. He could have cooked eggs on her forehead. Her fever was climbing at a staggering pace and he knew she was going to die. However, he was more worried about Philip's mental stability at this point.

He heard a noise coming from the store and looked up just in time to see Philip running out of the store carrying a bag. He rushed towards the Jeep and jumped behind the wheel.

"Ok I got a bottle of ibuprofen, amoxicillin, first aid cream and bandages," he said as he passed the bag to Steven. "I had no idea what to get and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could."

"This is good Philip," Steven replied. He popped the top off of the first aid cream and began applying it to Penny's wound site. He placed the antibiotic in her mouth and gave her a drink of the water.

Philip guided the Jeep onto the main highway and returned his focus to the road. He glanced in the rear view mirror as Steven began applying bandages to Penny's wound. He prayed that she would pull through, even though he knew what was inevitably coming. He did, however, appreciate the resolve that Steven had with treating her.

Penny died about thirty minutes after their visit to the pharmacy, approximately ten miles away from Woodbury. Even though Steven saw it all before at the hospital, he was still amazed at how quickly the virus accelerated. The drugs did nothing, and in the end, Penny's body became so hot that they had to roll the windows down to prevent the Jeep from becoming a sauna.

Philip sat on the shoulder of the highway and cradled her in his arms. He sobbed uncontrollably. Steven was at a loss for words so he just left him alone with his grief. He was standing at the rear of the Jeep when Philip finally approached him.

"I can't just leave her here," he said, still sobbing. "We need to take her somewhere…a cemetery…a morgue…anything."

Steven nodded. He quickly walked over to where Penny was laying and bent over to pick her up. With the help of Philip he loaded her into the rear seat of the jeep. As he was settling her into the vehicle he felt her move.

"What the hell?" He jumped.

Both of them looked in the Jeep as she sat up. She sprang out of the vehicle and glared at them thru undead eyes. She made a low guttural sound and lunged towards them. Steven frantically looked over at Philip but he was staring at her with his mouth open, and he was seemingly frozen in place. Steven jumped into action—he grabbed the gun from his waistband and pointed it at Penny.

"NO!" Philip cried as he knocked Steven down to the ground. The gun went skidding under the vehicle.

Steven was stunned as his face collided with the pavement. With Steven lying between Penny and Philip, he was the easiest target for her hunger. She leaped on top of him and bit deep into his neck.

"ARGH, HELP ME PHILIP!" Steven cried as he felt hot blood spill all over his face.

He felt Penny being lifted off of him. He rolled over and watched as Philip held her down on the pavement with her hands behind her. Her face was contorted with rage, and her mouth continually snapped at the empty air. Steven's blood ran down her face and pooled onto the pavement. He stood up weakly and went over to them. Philip looked up at him; his face was streaked with tears.

"Please Steven," he rasped. "Can you go into the back of the Jeep and grab the rope that is in my backpack?"

Steven went to the back of the Jeep and searched through Philip's backpack. He quickly pulled out a four foot piece of hemp rope. He looked at it and marveled at how thick it was. He handed it to Philip who quickly used it to tie Penny's hands and feet together so she looked like a demented caricature of the letter u. He picked her up, threw her into the back of the Jeep and slowly turned toward Steven.

"I'm so sorry Steven," Philip whispered. "I couldn't let you kill my little girl."

Steven put his hand up to his neck and held it there as he felt the blood pump through his fingers. Amazingly the wound didn't hurt that much. Although there wasn't much pain he was coming down with a case of double vision and he felt the fever starting. He sat down on the ground.

"What do I do now," he said. He thought about his family and wept. He knew he would never see them again.

Philip looked down at him with sympathy splashed across his face. "I'm sorry Steven. There is nothing I can do for you." He reached into his waistband and pulled out the gun.

Steven sprang up like a tiger and tackled Philip to the ground. The gun was knocked out of his hand and skidded underneath the Jeep. A guttural roar exploded from him. "YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He punched Philip in the face and watched as blood sprayed from his nose.

Philip was thrown against the Jeep as Steven fell on top of him. He noticed that Steven's face was full of unbridled fury that caused Philip's heart to skip a beat. Stars flashed before his eyes as Steven punched him in the face again. He crawled backwards until he was practically underneath the Jeep. He flailed his arms in an effort to keep Steven off of him, until his right hand brushed across something under the Jeep.

Steven was overcome in an intense rage that he has never experienced before. All he saw was red. As he glared at Philip it appeared as if he was looking through a red curtain. He heard himself yelling at Philip so rapidly that the words didn't make any sense. Sweat poured from his forehead like a fountain. It mixed grotesquely with the blood that spread there from his neck wound. He reached his fist back to smash Philip's face again when he felt a piece of cold metal press against his chin.

Philip was managed to get a hold of the gun again. Steven looked down at his bloodied face and noticed that he had a grotesque smile spreading across his face. "You won't have to worry about walkers anymore, Steven." He pulled the trigger.

The last thought that Steven Harper had was of his wife and kids. After that, there was nothing but a cold blackness that fell across his mind. At least the red was gone.


End file.
